As citizens, leaders and professionals, what are the ways of working we need to develop that will allow us to collaboratively address the challenges in our cities, communities, organizations and society?

WHY THIS TRAINING? WHY NOW?

Since 2010 Greece has been the center of attention worldwide for several reasons: economic crisis, austerity, citizen movements, social innovators, corruption, the future of Eurozone and more. With the results of the recent elections, Greece once again draws attention to whether the new government will bring hope and change or if the economic situation will get worse. It is a question that reflects not only the future of Greece but also the future of Europe.

Underneath this is a question about what we mean by demokratia – the power of citizens to collectively define and create their lives and steward the commons with the interest of future generations in mind. We believe that the main differentiator that will make this new “era” successful is how citizens are engaged in new forms of governance, forms that are based on participation, dialogue, self-organizing, diversity and true consultation.

We invite you to this 4-day training to explore together:

As citizens, leaders, and professionals what are the ways of working we need to develop that will allow us to collaboratively address the challenges in our cities, organizations, communities and society?

WHEN: We start at 9.00 am on Friday April 17 and will to 5 pm April 20, 2015.

This training takes place at the IMPACT HUB-ATHENS, a multi-use space and place for social innovation in the center of Athens. It is located in the Psiri a neighborhood known for its unique atmosphere that still has a sense of the old Athens. Accommodation will be at nearby hotels or local Air B and B. Details and options of accommodation and how to get to our venue will be provided upon registration.

In Greece, there is a growing network of complementary currencies and alternative economies flourishing. This is due to the massive disruption to the “mainstream” economic system. We want to honor that there are many people in Greece and elsewhere who are working and living with these multiple forms of currency, and that in fact, cash and money is not always available, but other forms of currency are.

We offer a sliding scale participation fee for 350 to 900 Euros which includes the training and a light lunch each day. This fee does not include accommodation. We wish to make this training available to as many people as possible and do not want economy to be a barrier. Therefore we work on the value “offer what you can and little more.”

Should you have ideas about offering OTHER FORMS OF CURRENCY to this AoPL, please contact us with your ideas! Also if you wish to join us and can’t afford to pay the lower price please contact Odysseas Velentzas: odyssol@gmail.com

LANGUAGE: The training is in English and informal Greek translation will be available, if required.

REGISTRATION: Please contact Odysseas Velentzas to receive a registration form or to ask any questions: odyssol@gmail.com.

*For more on “What is the Art of Participatory Leadership”, click here.

There are numerous self-organizing initiatives going on all over the city as a response to the breaking down of our political, economic and social systems, and we invite you to come and meet, speak and interact with the people and places who are creating new social realities. Some people conceive a glass half of water as half full and others as half empty. Today through an alternative tour in Athens we will see that the glass of water is as full as we want it to be!

Our tour will start at 11.00 am, at Panepistimio Metro Station. During our tour, we will visit places in the Exarcheia area of Athens where there are many initiatives that are being created by citizens for citizens, such as:

– the self-managed Navarino park
– the “Colleagues Publications” Cooperative
– the social kitchen initiative “The other man”
– the immigrant supportive team ASANTE
– the immigrant’s multi-cultural team
– the social clinic of the neighbourhood
– the self-managed cultural initiative “Nosotros”
– the social grocery “Sessoula”
– the exchange initiative “Moth”
– the free self-managed EMBROS theatre
– the “SynAllois” cooperative

After a break for preparing the lunch and co-eating with other people we will have a meeting at Little Tree Bookstore at 5.00 p.m. to have a conversation with some initiatives and teams of the of solidarity and cooperative economy, such as: